Author Archives: andynathan

Gig review: ROD STEWART – 02 Arena, London, 27 February 2017

ROD STEWART- 02 Arena, London, 27 February 2017

The death of so many stars in 2016 – from Bowie and Prince to Rick Parfitt and George Michael – makes it all the more imperative that we catch the greats of rock and pop while we still can. One … Continue reading

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Gig review: LITA FORD – Islington Academy, London, 12 March 2017

LITA FORD - Islington Academy, London, 12 March 2017

From lead guitarist in the pioneering all-girl The Runaways to eighties metal queen, to glamorous MTV darling, Lita Ford has truly been one of the trailblazers for the still underrepresented sisterhood of women in heavy rock. However it has been … Continue reading

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Gig review: MIKE TRAMP – The Black Heart, Camden, 8 March 2017

MIKE TRAMP- The Black Heart, Camden, 8 March 2017

His accent may blend his Danish roots with the twang of Brooklyn where he had his greatest professional success, but former White Lion and Freak of Nature singer Mike Tramp is very much an Anglophile. This manifests itself in his … Continue reading

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Gig review: SOTO – Camden Underworld, London, 17 February 2017

SOTO - Camden Underworld, London, 17 February 2017

Prolific vocalist Jeff Scott Soto’s well-travelled career has seen him spend brief spells with big names like Yngwie Malmsteen and Journey, participate in supergroups like Soul Sirkus and W.E.T., release albums under his own name and lend his pipes to … Continue reading

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Album review: PRIDE OF LIONS – Fearless

PRIDE OF LIONS - Fearless

Frontiers [Release Date 27.01.17] They come less frequently these days, with a five year gap between each of the last two albums, but a Pride of Lions album is always worth the wait, marking the return of veteran master songwriter … Continue reading

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Gig review: JUST SAY YES/ARFM MELODIC ROCK FUNDRAISER – The Spot, Derby, 28 January 2017

VEGA - Melodic Rock Fundraiser - The Spot, Derby, 28 January 2017

From initially modest ambitions,  the ‘Just Say Yes’ fundraiser is rapidly establishing itself as a must on the festival calendar for melodic rock fans, sandwiched between Autumn’s Firefest and latterly Rockingham, and Spring’s HRH. I hugely enjoyed my first festival … Continue reading

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Gig review: TYKETTO – Islington Academy, London, 26 January 2017

TYKETTO - Islington Academy, London, 26 January 2017

2016 was meant to be a big year for Tyketto as they both celebrated the 25th anniversary reissue of their classic ‘Don’t Come Easy release and an excellent new album ‘Reach’, the first with a new line-up of the band. … Continue reading

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Album review: ROTH BROCK PROJECT- s/t

Roth Brock Project

Frontiers Records [Release Date 04.11.16] This rather unimaginatively titled release brings together two of melodic rock’s most respected figures. While Terry Brock has long been regarded as one of the genre’s finest vocalists, from his days in Strangeways to numerous … Continue reading

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Gig review: KING KING – Islington Assembly Hall, London, 29 November 2016

KING KING - Islington Assembly Hall, London, 29 November 2016

In an even more crowded than ever November gig schedule, it was still important to find time for this enticing double bill of two up and coming bands, both offering a fresh take on blues-influenced rock. If 2015 was when … Continue reading

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Gig review: THE ANSWER/THE DEAD DAISIES – Electric Ballroom, London, 23 November 2016

Dead Daisies

In the current live music climate, a touring double bill makes sense. As well as sharing overheads and potentially playing to double the normal audience, for the fan it helps manage an increasingly crowded calendar where often multiple gigs compete … Continue reading

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Album review: TYKETTO – Reach

TYKETTO - Reach

Frontiers [Release Date 14.10.16] Four years ago, the much-anticipated release from Tyketto’s original line up, ‘Dig In Deep’ fell rather flat – it was not a bad album in its own right, but failed to live up to the impossible … Continue reading

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Gig review: FM – Islington Assembly Hall, London, 19 November 2016

FM - Islington Assembly Hall, London, 19 November 2016

Since reforming a few years ago, Britain’s premier homegrown melodic rockers FM have steered a delicate balance between moving forward and looking backwards. The new line up with Jim Kirkpatrick on guitar has perhaps been the best in their history, … Continue reading

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Album review: KEE MARCELLO – Scaling Up

KEE MARCELLO - Scaling Up

Frontiers [Release Date 14.10.16] Guitarist with Europe in their commercial heyday first time round, Kee Marcello’s solo career to date has been an unspectacular one, and even his otherwise enjoyable live shows made me inclined to check out his own … Continue reading

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Gig review: GRAHAM BONNET – Boston Music Rooms, London, 8 November 2016

GRAHAM BONNET- Boston Music Rooms, London, 8 November 2016

Graham Bonnet has always been one of rock’s most singular characters. The man with the short hair, Hawaiian shirts and musical background far removed from your traditional metal belter who gave Rainbow their commercial breakthrough. The man whose self-destructive tendencies … Continue reading

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Gig review: 3 DOORS DOWN – Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith, London, 6 November 2016

 3 DOORS DOWN - Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith, London, 6 November 2016

Enormous in their native USA since the turn of the millennium, 3 Doors Down have a low public profile in the UK, perhaps befitting a band whose everyday anonymity is one of their virtues. Yet a near sell out at … Continue reading

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Gig review: Y & T – Islington Academy, London, 28 October 2016

Y & T - Islington Academy, London, 28 October 2016

For the last decade, an extensive Y & T tour has been just as much a feature of autumn as leaves falling and the nights getting shorter.  The Californians seem to have a love affair with the UK and judging … Continue reading

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Gig review: UFO – Alban Arena, St Albans, 25 October 2016

UFO - Alban Arena, St Albans, 25 October 2016

For a band whose musical quality is right up there with the best, UFO’s legacy in the classic rock hall of fame is not the most secure. Whether its the effect of the off stage shenanigans and constant personnel changes … Continue reading

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Gig review: ROCKINGHAM FESTIVAL – Nottingham Trent University Students Union, 21-23 October 2016

ROCKINGHAM FESTIVAL, Nottingham, 21-23 October 2016

Last year, a new festival, Rockingham, took on the unenviable mantle of filling the void left by Firefest, which for a decade had delighted melodic rock fans by bringing a series of cult melodic rock acts, many reforming after years … Continue reading

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Album review: CRY OF DAWN featuring Goran Edman- Cry of Dawn

(Release Date 23.09.16) In melodic rock circles, the name of Goran Edman is spoken of in hushed terms as one of the genre’s top vocalists, in a long career ranging from singing with John Norum and Yngwie Malmsteen to gracing … Continue reading

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Gig review: CATS IN SPACE, SPACE ELEVATOR – Harlequin Theatre, Redhill, 29 September 2016

SPACE ELEVATOR - Harlequin Theatre, Redhill, 29 September 2016

Quite apart from the similarity in names, the pairing of Cats In Space and Space Elevator was a perfect match. Both are new acts, albeit with seasoned musicians who have been on the scene a while, trying to do something … Continue reading

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Gig review: KEE MARCELLO – The Cavern, Raynes Park, London, 21 September 2016

KEE MARCELLO - The Cavern, Raynes Park, London, 21 September 2016

30 years ago, just as Europe’s The Final Countdown went stratospheric, John Norum left the band and it was Kee Marcello who went on to be the guitarist during their commercial heyday. However, while his erstwhile bandmates milk that milestone … Continue reading

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Gig review: MITCH MALLOY – Camden Underworld, 18 September 2016

MITCH MALLOY - Camden Underworld, 18 September 2016

Ever since the release of his classic self-titled debut in 1992, chock full of memorable anthems and heartfelt ballads, Mitch Malloy has been one of AOR and melodic rock’s cult figures. However despite several appearances at Firefest it has been … Continue reading

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DVD review: TOTO- Live At Montreux 1991

TOTO- Live at Montreux 1991

Eagle Vision [Release Date 16.09.16] Few bands can have had such a revolving cast of musicians, many joining and rejoining, as Toto, which makes the history of the AOR giants such a fascinating one. One interesting period of their career … Continue reading

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Gig review: KIP WINGER – The Borderline, London, 17 September 2016

KIP WINGER- The Borderline, London, 17 September 2016

Kip Winger’s acoustic shows at the Borderline, now billed as the 5th Annual Evening with Kip Winger, have become legendary events, not just from an ever growing number of diehard fans, but from the artist himself, who bounded on stage … Continue reading

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Gig review: STATUS QUO – Union Chapel, Islington, London, 9 September 2016

STATUS QUO - Union Chapel, Islington, London, 9 September 2016

When Status Quo reworked their back catalogue in acoustic format, then put it out on the road, the results were stunning and breathed new life into their classics in a manner even their diehard fans would not have believed possible. … Continue reading

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